Hi Jim,
When TSHTF it is nice to have a lantern that can use almost any flammable liquid for fuel, including used motor oil. Also, one can mix the present fuel with whatever else is available to fill the lantern and continue to use it.This German designed lantern has been around since the [early[ 1900s. It is now in its fifth generation and the fifth generation is the only Petromax lantern to be tested and listed as a truly multi-fuel lantern. Please note, all previous generations are not truly multi-fuel lantern although that claim is advertised. Caveat emptor! There are many places to purchase a Petromax lantern on the Internet, survival, hardware and other stores. One has to be careful since some do not have the thick glass globes that can withstand rain drops without shattering and some have cheap parts that wear out quickly. There are many impostor such as the cheap Chinese spin offs selling far below the price of the fifth generation Petromax. Some of us, if not most, have been down this road before: purchasing a cheaper copy cat item only to find out we got taken to the cleaners.
Not only is this a multi-fuel lantern, it can be easily adapted to be a multitasking tool to light, heat (50 square feet area) and cook at the same time by purchasing the accessories. It takes only a minute to convert it. One does have to have the lantern operating in order to cook. If light discipline is not an issue this is a great setup for saving fuel. I have two of these setups with extra globes, mantels, bicycle EZ-PUMP adapters, EZ-COOK adapter and rebuild kits in my survival supplies. BTW, the rebuild kits and instructional video were free when I purchased the lantern. I researched for about two months before deciding to purchase mine. As a general rule, if time permits I call a prospective place of business to see if they are knowledgeable of the item(s) I am interested in, if they keep a current inventory of spare parts, and gauge their professionalism. That is the reason I chose to purchase from Britelyt Multi fuel Products http://www.britelyt.com/. They also sell methanol lanterns. Methanol can be used inside with less worry of carbon monoxide and it stores indefinitely. If you have never used one of these lanterns, then the video is a must. They sell a multi-fuel stove weighing 4 pounds that runs 5-6 hours on 1 quart of fuel, producing 8K-to-10K BTUs. – Find1